Screen Slaves

Synopsis: Continuing from "Pure Imagination, Pure Innovation, Screenslaver returns and she recruits the likes of Mr. Mind, Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, Evil the Cat and Psycrow. She forms a new League of Super Evil. Voltor, Dr. Frogg, Red and crew join the fight as well as Black Hat and his rogue group. Voltor realizes that they’re in way over their heads when everything starts going their way ! Can the Rangers and their friends stop him ?

Chapter 1—Do You Have a Problem With Heroes ?

Evelyn Deavor had been locked in solitary confinement too long. She despised every moment, especially the putrid, fetid cell she had been locked in. She didn’t have a cell mate, which was probably for the best. She longed to sway people into believing that heroes were actually the ones at fault. People relied to much on them, as if they were a crutch.

‘Take away the crutch and the person will no longer be able to stand upright.’, she thought evilly. The only issue was how she was going to get out of that dank and miserable cell. She didn’t know Underminer personally and he would’ve been her first method of escape. She sighed, laying back in her uncomfortable cot. She was starting to get muscle aches from the coldness of the steel underneath her rotten spring mattress. Just then, in her cell, the TV signal was interrupted. On the screen there was a monster with a crooked grin. He was rather dapper but Evelyn knew that this entity was the incarnation of vileness, evil, sadism and villainy. In a low, raspy voice, he queried,

‘Do you have a problem with heroes ? Then, don’t wait ! Act now ! Call Black Hat and associates. We’ve got you covered.’, Black Hat said, sinister, his lion-like gaze seeming to transfix her from across the airwaves. Just as quickly as the signal had been disrupted, it resumed normal programming. Formula 1 was on and Team Ferrari was in the lead.

‘I’ll get my call tomorrow, and then Black Hat will come for me. Reckoning is nigh.’, Evelyn thought to herself. It was time for one more meal of the night. She’d read a bit after some light running around the compound and dream of her last day of solitary confinement.

Chapter 2—You’ll Like It Here

The next day, without really understanding why, she was with Black Hat, Ponchito, Flug and Demencia.

‘Can I call you the New League of Super Evil ?’, she asked. Black Hat usually didn’t like outsiders ideas, especially ones he didn’t trust. He even had to hand it to his lackey, Doctor Flug, who had used a newly created acid gun device to retain her suit from maximum security. It had taken bear hugs from Ponchito and an extra dose of tranquilizer darts from Flug’s dart gun to sedate them.

‘Yes, and others have joined the fight. This is Scarecrow. I’m sure you know of his abilities. Over here is the Mad Hatter. Ah, and the original League of Super Evil has joined us.’, Black Hat said.

‘I still think that Voltor looks like a baby !’, Demencia said.

‘I am no baby, mad woman ! I have a IQ larger than Einstein’s and I’m twice as dastardly !’, Voltor said, shaking a knobby fist. Flug, for once in his life, felt glad he didn’t have any stature issues like the little red alien dude possessed. If anything, he would probably be getting more flack than anyone else in the newly formed team of villains.

Doomhound, or Doomy as they had called him, became a mascot to the group. He started to snarl at the door of the complex once a knock had been heard.

‘More villains I take it ?’, Black Hat questioned.

‘Maybe we’re getting a bit overcrowded.’, Hatter added.

‘Strength in numbers, my friend.’, Scarecrow quipped.

At the door stood Earthworm Jim’s foulest enemies, Evil the Cat and Psycrow. Both had been warped in from another dimension, just as the original League had been. There had been portals appearing all over the place but Black Hat had been the one making them. He had necromancy on his side, he could do that, but he could also send them back as soon as they weren’t of any use to him. Once those portals were closed, however, there was no reopening them. Therefore he had to plan what he was going to do very cautiously next.

‘You all are going to like it here. Make yourself at home.’, he said.

‘Well I’m starving. If you don’t mind, I’ll make something for all of us. What’s everyone’s preference ?’, Evil asked. He soon rued that idea, since everyone’s favorite food was different. He was lucky to be so diverse. He got help from Psycrow in the kitchen but didn’t allow him near anything that could be considered flammable. The psychotic space bird had a penchant for being somewhat of a pyro at times.

Chapter 3—Mayday, Mayday, Mayday !

    At the Angel Grove CEC location, Charles Entertainment Cheese, and his wife Helen Henny-Cheese, were helping the Cast Members get ready for store opening for the day. Suddenly, the videophone began ringing. Immediately, Jason picked up the phone and instinctively Somnibot began to hustle inside the phone itself to stop Jason from gazing into the screen.

‘No, Jason, don’t ! You’ll become hypnotized !’, she warned, pushing him out of the way. Jason was annoyed and a bit upset with Somnibot but he was already lost to ScreenSlaver’s transfixing pattern.

Jason was making his way down the hall. No one could stop him. The whole HQ was being hijacked by ScreenSlaver’s hypnotic spiral pattern.

‘There’s nothing to fear. Simply listen to the sound of my voice and all will be well. Or, better yet, gaze into the screen...’, Screenslaver’s gravely voice stated. Alpha had gone into near full-panic mode as HQ began to descend into disarray. Every screen in the building was twirling. Only the bots had remained unphased and unaffected.

Finding themselves safer in the briefing room the bots discussed what their next course of action was going to be.

‘They’re walking right into ScreenSlaver’s trap ! They’re like sitting ducks !’, Pepper stated, worriedly.

‘I know this is bad, but we all have to work together. We’ll think of something to snap them out of it. This can’t be the end of the Power Rangers. Not after we’ve saved so many and kept our planet safe from evil all this time.’, Nao retorted, her voice rather lacrimosial.

‘I hope we think of something soon. They’re already leaving the complex !’, Delta said. Alpha had never seen his friends going willingly into the wolf’s lair but he knew, as much as any of the other bots, that they had to overcome their fears and follow their friends straight into a den of a doom of dragons among other nasty malcontents.

Chapter 4—Rita, Zedd and Scorpina Become Overzealous

Voltor couldn’t believe it. Neither could any of the others. Black Hat’s plan had worked flawlessly. He and the Black Hat Organization had been doing this for years, so he was an expert at giving villains their just due.

‘Now we just have to wait for the little rats to come to their Pied Piper.’, he said, steepling his fingers in a powerful, elegant and diabolical way under his chin. Demencia eyed him from a distance. Seeing him in a status of an advantage not only gave her vicarious glee but it also aroused her deeply. She cast a knowing lustful glance at him. He had never given her a second look but victory was starting to open his eyes to the potential that lay in a possible relationship with her.

‘We’re winning. We’re actually winning !’, Psycrow said, beside himself.

‘I know, this is new for me as well. I won’t be totally satisfied until I see that Dirtbreath Jim get here so I can point and laugh maniacally at him.’, Evil agreed, feeling as though this victory was well worthwhile.

The villains were already making their way back to the lair. Mr. Mind was cackling, loving this newfound sense of freedom. He didn’t even need a pawn like Silva to finish this work. The Black Hat Organization had over-delivered. In fact, his expectations were surpassed.

‘Black Hat is a genius ! I never would’ve thought to use Screenslaver and her ability like that. Oh, if only I were human. I would do anything to ask her for her hand. I doubt she would want a worm courting her.’, Mr. Mind said, blushing a smidge.

‘Someone has a hardcore crush !’, Mad Hatter teased.

‘Oh, clam it, psycho.’, Mind snapped. Black Hat came out of the shadows from the floor, reforming into his solid corporeal form. Panchito shivered and whimpered when he had seen it. Of all villains, why he chose Black Hat was more of who had the best food at the time and he fell for the trap. Still, the poor large bear was terrified of the sinister prim and proper villain.

‘You’ve been gathered together wondering what this meeting is about. Firstly, I will alert you that there is nothing to fear. You have no need to worry about harm or anger from me. I am actually overtly euphoric. We’ve won and all because of Evelyn ! Evelyn, I believe the floor belongs to you, beautiful.’, he said. Once he had said that, Demencia felt her ire rising.

‘Calling her beautiful. That hag. I have more personality in my teeniest digit than she does in her whole body. If she comes anywhere near him...’, she began to seethe. Flug, getting nervous, did his best to restrain any outbursts if Demencia blew her top.

‘We owe our victory tonight to Eve. However, everyone here deserves a pat on the back for what they have contributed to this win. We’re all in this together !’, Black Hat crowed. Everyone applauded, cheered, hooped and hollered, especially when Jack Spicer and his Jackbots had turned the celebration into an outright rager.

‘If you’re gonna have a party, Black Hat, do it right. Jack Spicer has all the necessary equipment you need to make this night memorable.’, he said, spinning the records with expert precision. Black Hat had forgotten how many portals he made, but it didn’t matter. All of these big villains together had forced victory into their hands and so long as the Rangers were out of commission, they could do whatever they saw fit to Angel Grove and then, at last, the world !

Chapter 5—Robot Army vs. the SLOSE

All of a sudden, the door came flying open and one of the few humans that had resisted Evelyn’s hypnotic trance had come through. It was War Machine, and Iron Lad followed by Nebula and Cyborg. Technically, they were cybernetic in nature so hypno-devices weren’t effective on them whatsoever.

Black Hat had been throwing back some Tequila until he saw the robotic hoard. He swore under his breath but everyone was already prepared for this eventual situation.

Back and forth the villains and the heroes began to volley and it seemed they were equally matched. No one could’ve predicted that the Themascirans hadn’t been influenced by the draw of the hypnotic screens. Wonder Woman had come. She and her entire army of Amazons.

‘Now it’s a fair fight.’, she said to Jibo, who had been recently outfitted with a chassis to walk, run, grasp and do anything a human being could do on a typical day. Today, however, was unbelievably atypical, especially considering that Jibo was in beta testing for his fighting reflexes. Fortunately, everything was holding together well and he was putting up an admirable fight.

    'Impossible !', Black Hat said incredulously. 'I thought the company of your birth shut down !'

‘Just because my parent company went bankrupt does not mean that I am useless.’, Jibo cried, nailing a perfect uppercut on Black Hat’s flawless jawline. One by one the villains were getting knocked out. Evelyn had nowhere to run and she hadn’t had the time to use her ability to hijack another villain to use as a marionette.

‘Where ya goin’, Screenslaver ?’, Pepper questioned.

‘Something looked interesting over there.’, she said, trying the old ‘distraction’ technique, which was weak at best.

‘That wouldn’t have even worked on the Rangers if they were here to fight. Yet, they’re not. You’re going to have to deal with me, whether you want to or not.’, she said.

‘Please ! Let’s talk about this rationally.’, Eve began. Pepper was already irate at how helpless her human friends were. This was going to end now, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Fists and feet flew. It was likely that the villains were losing teeth in the battle but they finally gave up. The police were called to the scene and all of the villains were arraigned and put in the slammer. All of them would be dealt with in their own dimensions once Black Hat sent them back, which he did reluctantly. He knew he was beaten and surrendered to the long arm of the law.

Chapter 6—It’s A LONG Story

When the Rangers awoke, they had no idea what had happened. Alpha, Delta and the rest of the bots had to explain everything in nerve-wracking detail.

‘So you fought the SLOSE yourselves ?’, Kat questioned.

‘Woah, that’s pretty rad.’, Adam complimented.

‘Yeah, you guys really opened a can of whoop ass on those guys.’, Zack agreed, not really caring he used some vulgarity when no other term could’ve been coined at that time.

‘Our years of training finally paid off.’, Somnibot retorted.

‘So, what happened ? Is the SLOSE no more ?’, Billy asked.

‘They were all transported back to their own worlds. Black Hat’s abilities are still an unknown but his portals are unreliable. I doubt he’ll be opening any more portals for a while.’, Delta said.

‘Indeed. I am just relieved everyone is ok and the casualties were at a minimum. Even my daring AI barely got a scratch !’, Zordon recalled, proudly. For that purpose a rather large fete was pulled together by Chuck E and his associates. Instead of the typical fare that was employed at CEC, they all decided to head to the beach and really savor the accomplishments they had made for the remainder of the day.

Epilogue

It had been a typically gorgeous summer day for the Rangers and their robots to relax under the warm summer sun. It wasn’t torrid and there was a pleasant summer breeze whipping by to keep everyone cool. It looked like the Super LOSE wasn’t going to be an issue anymore at all. They were all separate, one from the other. A team up like that was rather unlikely, unless there was a being of even greater evil power than Black Hat, which in fact, there happened to be. Out on the outer regions of the Galaxy, Lord Xylem fumed.

‘And I thought he was so capable. He was so close to ending them with simple hypnotism. I have to be more diabolical than that. Ohhh, that’s rotten to the core !’, Xylem hought to himself, steepling his long, dark fingers under his chin. He could recruit the likes of Nergal, Eris and a host of others to use in his purpose. With his indestructible nature it would be even more difficult to stop the dominoes from toppling. One by one he would remove diversion and fun right down to board games. Then he would commit the ultimate crime; outlawing chocolate. Humans without chocolate could be horribly dangerous and he knew this. Chocolate would be the first grevious sin he committed. Then, candy would follow soon after.

To Be Continued… Xylem, Squelcher of Joy continues where Screen Slaves left off. The Rangers and team thought summer would be funfilled and fancy free but sadly, it isn’t anymore. One by one, all the ideas, concepts and simple enjoyments found at convience stores, Cracker Barrels and so on start simply disappearing with the snap of a slender finger.

‘Let’s see them try to invent new things to do without their little toys, or their gadgetry !’, the evil overlord muses sardonically, nearly able to taste victory.